Enrollment
1,071
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bel Air, MD
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Homestead/Wakefield Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240039000701
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Maryland schools.
- #5 of 5
- schools in Bel Air · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 16.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary has class sizes larger than 89% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Homestead/Wakefield Elementary ranks #5 of 5 schools in Bel Air, MD.
School address
District: Harford County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240039000701 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Homestead/Wakefield Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Bel Air, Maryland, enrolling 1,071 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.9:1 is larger than about 89% of Maryland schools and 23% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.9% free-meal eligibility runs 66% below the Maryland average.
Enrollment of 1,071 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 141 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #98.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 536 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Harford County Public Schools spends $15,192 per pupil, 26% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Bel Air's public schools, it stands alongside Prospect Mill Elementary (579 students): Homestead/Wakefield Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.9:1 vs 14.5:1).
Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students) and Aberdeen High (1,396 students) alongside Homestead/Wakefield Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Homestead/Wakefield Elementary compares
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▲ 23% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.9% | ▼ 66% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,071 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,071
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 89% in Maryland - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,192
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 536 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 69.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Asian 7.5%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.5, Homestead/Wakefield Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harford County Public Schools, which includes Homestead/Wakefield Elementary.
$15,192
Per student
-26%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 35.4%
Federal 12.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Homestead/Wakefield Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bel Air High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| C. Milton Wright High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Harford High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Homestead/Wakefield Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,396
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,341
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,204
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Bel Air
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Prospect Mill Elementary
Standard public school
579 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Bel Air Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Fountain Green Elementary
Standard public school
443 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Harford Academy at Campus Hills
Special-education school
141 students 2.8:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,071 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Homestead/Wakefield Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Homestead/Wakefield Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harford County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Homestead/Wakefield Elementary
How many students attend Homestead/Wakefield Elementary?
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary has 1,071 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bel Air, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary is 17.9:1, which is 23% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary?
16.9% of students at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Homestead/Wakefield Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary is White at 69.4% of enrollment, in Bel Air, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Homestead/Wakefield Elementary?
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Homestead/Wakefield Elementary rank among schools in Bel Air?
By Resource Investment Index, Homestead/Wakefield Elementary ranks #5 of 5 schools in Bel Air, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bel Air on the city page.
Is Homestead/Wakefield Elementary a good school?
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Maryland schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Harford County Public Schools?
Besides Homestead/Wakefield Elementary, Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students), Aberdeen High (1,396 students), and Bel Air High (1,341 students). See the Harford County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.